I can't help but notice the new campaign being mounted by the Susan Komen Foundation to increase awareness about breast cancer. I agree that breast cancer is a tragic killer, but I am bewildered about the billboards I have observed in and around the greater Dallas area.
Surely some of you must have noticed them. The billboard has a shot of a woman's chest area sporting a t-shirt that reads, "We only care about one thing. Or depending on your viewpoint, two". (Or something to that effect.)
Sure, as a man, I like breasts. I concede that. I also have first hand experience with cancer. Breasts-good. Cancer-not good. There's no debate about that. However, like I said, I am bewildered by the billboards. I'll tell you why.
1. The City(ies) in and around the greater DFW historically have had a bias against any type of advertising that focused on any female body part.
2. Most of these campaigns seeking their removal were intiated by women and/or women's groups. I think this type of political action was started by people like Gloria Steinham.
3. I have heard women say for years that they didn't want to be valued by the propriety of the female anatomy.
4. This campaign seeks to do exactly that. You don't see a woman's face on that billboard, only her breasts. Not that there's anything specifically wrong with that. I'm a man. I like breasts.
5. City and county governments have sought for years to shut down any operation that utilized breasts to make a woman money. However, they allow these billboards with no questions being asked. Breasts are being utilized DIRECTLY to solicit donations of money.

Don't get me wrong. Breast cancer needs to be researched, as do other types of cancer. Why and how the medical profession and the pharmaceutical companies go about researching and curing diseases such as these are a whole other argument for me. Suffice it to say that I don't have much regard for either, but specifically the drug companies. They don't want to cure anything. They make money on treatments, not cures. Ah, I had to digress. I will go back to being on-topic now.
I have to wonder about the logistics of this campaign. I was just as bewildered about PETA's "GOT BEER?" campaign. I thought that campaign was incredibly irresponsible. Again, a whole other argument.
Anyway, what I wonder about, among other things, is why it is okay in this situation to use such a focus on a nicely-endowed female chest, by posting this image on billboards all over town, to encourage support for a cause whose basis is the solicitation of funds?
I bet the same women would object to such a billboard for any other purpose.
I understand that the society we live in is politically "correct", but is also overtly greedy and hypocritical.
I have to wonder what the public outcry would be if some Foundation seeking funds for Testicular Cancer research posted billboards around town depicting a man in nothing but a speedo with some similar verbage posted with it.
Personally, I say whatever. I also don't mind the Komen billboards. But I have to wonder why things are okay in some situations and not in others.
All I guess I'm really asking is for people to think more clearly about why they do what they do and for what purposes that they do them, and whether or not they are any more morally justifiable than other reasons that advertisers use such tactics, visuals, and verbage.
Komen billboards-they should stay? Right?
Hooters billboards-should they stay? Yes? No?
Who's right? And why?

posted by Dave @ 9:41 PM

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